Roll-out of national bowel screening begins

Hon Dr Jonathan ColemanMinister of Health

17th July 2017

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the start of the bowel
screening programme is a major milestone for the New Zealand health
system, and will ultimately save lives.

"This week the first letters inviting people to take part in the
screening programme are being sent to eligible residents in the
Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHBs," says Dr Coleman.

"This is the first step in the phased implementation of the free
National Bowel Screening Programme throughout New Zealand over the
next three years.

"We know that this programme will help to detect bowel cancer at
an early stage, when treatment is easier and the outcomes more
successful.

"Over the next two years, approximately 30,000 residents in the
Hutt Valley and Wairarapa DHB areas will be invited to do the bowel
screening test.

"Every year around 3,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with bowel
cancer and more than 1,200 die from it. Once screening is available
nationwide it's expected that up to 700 cancers will be detected
annually."

In line with international best practice, the screening
programme is being phased in progressively.

Once it is fully rolled out, more than 700,000 people aged
between 60 and 74 will be invited for free screening every two
years.

"The introduction of the programme follows on from the
successful pilot that has been run by Waitemata DHB since late
2011. Waitemata will continue screening through the pilot until the
end of this year and transition to the national programme in
January 2018," says Dr Coleman.

"Southern and Counties Manukau DHBs will be the next to join the
rollout and the nationwide rollout will be completed by
2020.

"The latest data shows 4,437 patients received a colonoscopy in
May 2017 - this is the largest number performed in a single month
since data collection began in July 2012. This is a 71 per cent
increase compared to 2,594 colonoscopies carried out in May
2013.

"This has helped to reduce the number of patients waiting longer
than recommended for a colonoscopy, which in May 2017 was down 71
per cent from May 2013, meaning 6,496 fewer people are waiting
longer than recommended.

"Meeting the demand for colonoscopies is a key part of preparing
for the roll-out of the national bowel screening
programme."

The Government has invested $77.8 million into the screening
programme's progressive roll-out to date, with a further $19
million invested into delivering more colonoscopies
quicker.